A Third Chance In Love

CHAPTER 14 - Ronel and Rey

Aloida hoped to remain calm despite the turmoil she felt inside her heart. She has no right in any way to get jealous. She tried to smile as she waved her hand to her boss and Amara, who was grinning lopsidedly.

“Hello, Sir, and Ms. Amara,” she simply said as her greetings to them. She did not reply to Amara’s nosy question. She has no obligation anyway to satisfy her nosiness.

Lexandro Montaro nodded at Aloida while his questioning eyes were looking at the set of eating utensils across her. Aloida ignored the query in his eyes. She remained silent after that. She had no intention of explaining herself or giving in to Amara’s obvious mode of malicious nosiness.

“Are you alone, Ms. Jeansen?” It was Lexandro who asked. His voice was cold, and his expression was unfathomable.

“Oh, I am with someone, Mr. Montaro,” again Aloida replied shortly. She had no plan to elaborate and wished that the annoying duo in front of her would simply vanish.

“You are with someone, hmm. I wonder if this someone is a man or a woman.” Amara’s tone was laced with suspicion and intrigued and Aloida could not stand it anymore.

Aloida looked at Amara with a raised eyebrow before answering her. “You seemed so interested in knowing who I am with today, Ms. Amara. I am with a female cousin.”

“Ohh, so you are not on a date?” Amara replied mockingly. She even chuckled to add color to her mocking voice.

“Nope. My time is precious to cling myself to a man,” Aloida said in a tone showing her ‘I don’t care attitude’. In a way, she wanted to mock Amara back, but she could not blatantly do that. Her boss was in front of her.

But, Lexandro Montaro’s forehead furrowed as a reaction when he heard Aloida’s statement. He looked at her coldly as if his eyes were a set of ice cubes boring on her. Aloida ignored him and pretended to be calm while looking at Amara, whose face wrinkled suddenly. Amara's annoyance could not be hidden at all.

Amara smirked and moved by pulling Lexandro closer to her. “Oh, I see. What a waste of time not to feel loved at all, Ms. Jeansen. Anyway, Babe, let’s go to that table in the corner. Bye, Ms. Jeansen, and enjoy yourself with your cousin.”

When Amara pulled Lexandro away from Aloida’s table, he dared not resist. He followed Amara like an obedient man to his lover. Aloida could not help to look at the back of the two as they walked toward the table in the right corner of the restaurant.

A few minutes later, Aloida saw Mariel approaching with a jolly expression. She sat across Aloida with her smile not fading but immediately noticed the different aura of her cousin.

“Hey, Sissy, something wrong?” Mariel immediately asked, furrowing.

“Oh, nothing. Let us order now.” Aloida tried to act normally and did not glance a bit at her boss and Amara. She was hoping that Mariel would not notice the presence of her boss and the annoying woman beside him.

“By the way, Sissy, I called Ronel, and guess what, he said, he is in the city right now and will be coming over together with his friend,” Mariel announced, which made Aloida become interested.

“Really? Wow, what a coincidence,” she said with a certain spark in her eyes. If Ronel could help her find out the truth about the real identity of her boss, then she would be nice to him. Anyhow, Ronel was a good fellow during their younger years.

“Yes. They will be coming. He said his friend is a businessman, who owns a few branches of restaurants not only here but also abroad. And guess what?” Mariel said intriguingly.

“What?” With a lifted eyebrow, Aloida asked.

“He is still single,” Mariel squealed.

Aloida laughed and shook her head. “Amp, I am not interested.”

Mariel’s laughter as a reply was loud enough that it caught the attention of Lexandro and Amara, who both immediately looked in the direction of the table where Aloida and her cousin were settled. Lexandro’s expression suddenly changed as his eyes found the figure in front of Aloida.

“Shhh,” Aloida reprimanded her cousin as she motioned to her, to lower her voice, but Mariel simply shrugged as she continued to laugh.

When a waiter approached them, the cousins gave their orders and then chatted endlessly. Aloida in a moment forgot that her boss was just sitting a few feet away from them.

After around ten minutes, Mariel’s eyes sparkled. She was looking at the entrance of the restaurant where two tall and handsome men were entering. Aloida noticed her cousin’s sudden expression. She followed the direction where her cousin’s eyes were focused and noticed also the two men who had just entered the restaurant. The taller man was familiar to her. It was Ronel.

Mariel waved her hand at Ronel and his companion and the latter did the same with a broad smile. Aloida could see the sparkles in both eyes of Ronel and her cousin. Secretly, Aloida smiled.

“Ronel, thank you for coming. Have a seat, and your companion,” Mariel greeted the newcomers with a warm smile. She could not hide the sparkle in her eyes as she looked at Ronel.

Ronel’s smile widened. “Oh, let me introduce my friend here. Mariel and Aloida, this is my good friend, Rey. He is actually a shareholder in this restaurant.” Ronel was beaming proudly as he introduced his friend, whose eyes were now fixed on Aloida.

“Nice to meet you, Rey,” Mariel said with a pleasant voice and smile. She offered a handshake to the man, who accepted the same with a smile.

“Nice to meet you too, Mariel, and Aloida, right?” Rey said, whose eyes were fixed again on Aloida.

Mariel noticed the look that the new acquaintance was giving her cousin, and she secretly laughed. Aloida was definitely a stunner. Her face and body stayed youthful despite years of maturity and even though she had given birth to a daughter already. No wonder Ronel’s friend was instantly attracted to Aloida.

Aloida let out a thrifty smile as she offered a handshake too. “Aloida Jeansen,” she said as she introduced herself. Gently, Rey held Aloida’s hand.

“Rey Sparks,” Rey said with his eyes glistening while looking at Aloida.

Mariel cleared her throat to distract Rey, who simply could not get his eyes off Aloida.

As the two men were seated in front of the cousins, with Ronel beside Mariel and Rey beside Aloida, a set of eyes at the nearby table were already looking at them, squinting.